Six Doctors
by EMill1282
Summary: Six Doctors, in one place at one time. Can they work together to prevent a catastrophe? Or will bitter memories allow the universe to be swallowed up? A 50th anniversary celebration and bit of fun involving the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 9th and 11th Doctors.


Doctor Who: Six Doctors

EMill1282

A 50th Anniversary Celebration

Author's Note: _With the Golden Anniversary of Doctor Who upon us, I couldn't help but offer my own contribution to the celebrations. This is just a little bit of fun involving the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 9th and 11th Doctors. I did my best to get the characters as close to their TV counterparts as possible and they aren't too out of character to be enjoyable._

_Doctor Who is Trade Marked by the BBC, no infringements are intended_

The end was coming, the Doctor knew this, he had an appointment to keep at Lake Silencio, on April 22, 2011, and it was an appointment he desperately did not want to keep, so the Doctor did what he does best, he ran. He had been running for quite some time now, but the more he ran from his date with destiny, the more it seemed to loom over him. He was sure he only had a couple of trips left before the inevitable took hold, but still that was a couple of trips between now and then.

"Alright dear, let's go where we need to go before we have to go to America," the Doctor whispered to the console of his TARDIS. A chime sounded as the Doctor pulled back the activation levers, and the whole ship began to shake. There were the usual sounds of the background hum, the pulsating of the time rotor as it rose and fell, but ever present was the grinding weezing sound he had so fondly come to associate with his TARDIS in flight. Before long the ship began to shake more violently, and the groaning became more labored, with the tolling of a bell echoing from deep within the TARDIS itself.

"Oh not now old girl! Come on you can do it, just a little bit more," The Doctor franticly worked the controls running in circles around the hexagonal console, only to be tossed into a seat as the TARDIS came to halt with an abrupt thump.

"What was all of that about? Eh?" The Doctor asked lightly caressing the controls. The only answer the Doctor received was the abrupt dimming of the lights and the exterior doors flying open. The Doctor straightened himself, pulling on his tweed jacket, adjusting his bow tie. "I'll go out and have a look shall I?" the Doctor asked shoring up his nerve. He stood wringing his hand a moment longer before squaring his shoulders and stepping outside the TARDIS doors.

"That's not possible…" The Doctor murmured, unable to fathom the scene before him for a moment. The TARDIS was in an enormous stone cavern, one large enough he estimated that the earth's moon could fit inside quite comfortably. It was evident the cavern was of artificial construction, but this wasn't what had the Doctor flabbergasted, nor even its immense size, but the five other big blue Police Boxes standing not far from his own. As the Doctor watched in disbelief, five different sets of doors began to open on the Police Boxes, and out stepped five different men, all of whom he immediately recognized. From the TARDIS immediately to his right stepped out a little man with mop topped hair, an overly large frock coat, checked trousers, and wearing a small bow tie, set askew with his shirt collar poking up in different directions. It was the Doctor's Second incarnation, and by the look of him he was in the time period towards the end of his time as the Doctor, just before he was forced to regenerate into his Third incarnation.

To the Doctor's left stood a man in what had been a fine long velvet coat, but it had obviously seen better days, his shirt, waistcoat, brown leather gaiters and boots looked well worn, if a bit battered. His wavey hair disheveled, and a very weary look in his blue eyes. It was the Doctor's Eighth incarnation, he too was towards the end of his days, just before that…that dark, dark day…the Doctor shuddered trying not to think about it. He looked to the right of the Second Doctor to see a man with short hair, a prominent nose and ears, dressed a black leather jacket, shooting daggers with his eyes towards the Eighth Doctor. This was the Doctor's Ninth incarnation, and he too was evidently remembering what was to come in the Eighth Doctor's future.

Across from the Ninth Doctor stood a tall man with unruly curly hair, large blue eyes, a mouth full of teeth, a floppy felt hat placed recklessly on his head and a ridiculously long multicolored scarf draped around his neck, and a wax paper bag full of jelly babies extended out towards the other Doctors. This was the Doctor's Fourth incarnation, and judging from the clothes and care free grin on his face, fairly early days, the Doctor almost envied his youth and energy. The last man was an old white haired man, he too wore a long frock coat, with a black cravat tied in a bow, rubbing lightly at the lapels of his coat casting a critical gaze at the other men around him before he spoke.

"Ah yes, I remember you, the clown," the old man looked pointedly at the Second Doctor who sqwaked indignantly, ready to protest, but the old man forcefully spoke over him, "It would seem I am meeting my future selves…yet again. Dear me, what could have possibly happened this time I wonder," He was the First incarnation of the Doctor, the Original Doctor one might say.

The Doctor fixed his bow tie again saying, "It was so very good to see me, but I must be off," he turned around to go back into the TARDIS, only to have all six TARDIS doors slam shut. "That's new..." the words had barely come out of his mouth, when the floor began to pitch and heave, tossing the Doctors into each other, with walls sprouting from the floor dividing the Doctors into pairs. The rumbling stopped and all was silent, as the Doctor helped his other self to his feet.

"Oh dear," the Second Doctor muttered surveying his surroundings.

"It's very strange, very different," the Eleventh Doctor muttered as he tapped the newly created walls with his fingers. "It's almost as if..." he straightened up clearing his throat. "Right. There's nothing for it, this is like some gigantic maze or something. The only way out is to make it to the end. What do you think Doctor?"

"Being as none of us can go back into our TARDISes just yet, I must agree." The Second Doctor reached into his jacked pocketed withdrawing a flute type object.

"OH THE RECORDER!" the Eleventh Doctor exclaimed marveling at the object in the Second Doctor's hand. "I haven't seen that in ages. Remember how handy it was against Omega?"

"Oh my yes, it wasn't all that long ago for me. I must say, you are quite preferable to my immediate successor, with better dress sense too,"

The Eleventh Doctor grinned playing with his bow tie. "Yes, well bow ties are cool. You should see me in a fez," the Second Doctor gave the Eleventh a wary look before clearing his throat and saying.

"Right, I dare say we should be moving on, no time to waste,"

"Of course, after you Doctor,"

"No after you Doctor,"

"I insist after you Doctor," their argument was interrupted but the very familiar tolling of a bell, the duo looked back towards their TARDISes, then at each other, before looking up at the ceiling.

"Oh my giddy Aunt," the Second Doctor exclaimed.

"Ohhhhhh very bad, so very not good. Run Doctor?"

The Second Doctor nodded and the pair took off running down the newly created corridor without looking back.

As the floor tilted and mysterious walls crawled towards the ceiling, the Fourth Doctor tripped over his overly long scarf, sending him crashing into the Eighth Doctor, both falling against the side of the Eight Doctor's TARDIS before the tilting and shaking stopped dumping the entangled pair unceremoniously in a heap.

"Well I say, that was uncalled for," the Eighth Doctor complained trying to extract himself from the tangle of limbs.

"Most unusual. I rarely trip over my scarf any more, and these walls...it's almost as though we've been tossed into a hedge maze, only without the hedge."

"I believe Doctor, that you will find that a hedge maze without a hedge is called a maze," the Eighth Doctor replied dusting himself off.

"Or a Labyrinth," the Fourth Doctor mused as he pulled off his scarf, trying to toss one end towards the top of the newly created walls. There was still at least a foot of wall left once the scarf was tossed to it's fullest extent, which left the Fourth Doctor musing,

"Hmmm must be at least 25 feet, probably more..."

"Which means we won't be getting out that way. Perhaps if we try this," the Eighth Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver pointing it at the walls, waiving it about trying every frequency and setting he had available. "Doctor, if you would?" he gestured for the Fourth Doctor to do the same, to which he eagerly complied, only to meet the same result. Even with both of their screwdrivers being used at the same time, nothing happened, nothing changed.

"Well then I suppose that answers that question, now doesn't it," the Eighth Doctor mused looking at the corridor that the walls had created.

"There's only one thing to be done,"

"Yes. Onward then?" The Eighth Doctor turned his sonic screwdriver upside down, pressed a button and the handle became an electric torch, which lit up the corridor quite nicely.

"Very handy. I must remember to add that some day," The Fourth Doctor said admiringly.

"Don't worry, you will," The Eighth Doctor replied with a rueful smile, leading the way down the corridor. The pair only made it a part of the way down the corridor before the tolling of a bell began to resonate all around them. The Fourth Doctor's eyes bugged out as he grinned,

"Doctor, what do you say we RUN?" together the pair ran down the corridor following the bouncing beam of the electric torch, running like the devil himself was on their tails.

"Well, that was interesting," the First Doctor commented to his older self, as the Ninth Doctor steadied his younger incarnation. "Hmmm. I wonder what caused that to happen…" the ominous tolling of a bell cut the Doctor off abruptly.

"Perhaps such a strong Time Lord presence, I mean six different incarnations of the same Time Lord are sure to trigger off all sort of things, traps, controls, birthday invitations. But the question is, what have we triggered here," the Ninth Doctor thought out loud using his sonic screwdriver across the newly formed walls, while his First incarnation watched him curiously.

"Young man, have you considered simply observing for a moment?" The First Doctor asked gesturing to a space directly across from their TARDISes. The Ninth Doctor whirled on his heel watching the wall intently frowning uncertain of what he was looking for. "Oh my my my. Is this what I am to become? No patience, no observation skills, very sad very sad indeed," the First Doctor shook his head ruefully before walking up to the wall and pressing lightly against it. Immediately cracks appeared in the form of a door just waiting to be opened. The First Doctor rubbed at his lapels somewhat smugly.

"You know I used to be patient and observant, gentle enough not to harm even a flea, but then terrible things happened, and not just around me either. Terrible things harden a man, they make him tough, abrupt and impatient," the Ninth Doctor said scornfully, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I take it you or your immediate predecessor, did something, which at the time you thought necessary, but now you regret?" The First Doctor asked watching his older self carefully. The Ninth Doctor just grunted and the First Doctor nodded sagely. "Young man, need I remind you that we have all done things which we regretted? Hmmm? Do you remember our youth on our home world? Yes, there were many things which we came to regret. I dare say some of them could have been seen as quite terrible, if you would remember. Now it is plain to see, even to a fool, that you hold you previous self responsible for whatever it was that was done, but the question is, in his subjective time line, has he done it yet? Hmm?"

The Ninth Doctor's frown deepened as he grudgingly admitted,

"No. But he will have, very soon now…"

"My boy, you are condemning someone for something they have yet to do. It may be history for you, but for him it isn't even a thought. How reasonable is that?"

"I hate it when you're right, and you almost always are," the Ninth Doctor growled with a resigned sigh. "I suppose we've spent enough time chatting, there's a universe to save, no doubt. Shall we go and save it?"

The First Doctor gave a mischievous smile, "Young man, isn't that what we do after all? Hmm?"

The Ninth Doctor grinned and pushed through the doors to find himself in an even bigger room than the one they had all arrived in. Standing in the middle was a massive pedestal with six enormous sides, all covered in engraved circles and ancient lettering.

"Well then, there we have it," the First Doctor proclaimed without hesitation. "We all have landed in an ancient TARDIS, perhaps even one of the first missing TARDISes,"

"And it seems to be leaking," the Eleventh Doctor commented as he and the Second Doctor emerged from a door not far away.

"Of course, the dimensional stabilizers must have burned out or are out alignment," the Eighth Doctor declared as he and the Fourth Doctor rocketed through their own doorway. All of the Doctor's stood admiring that antiquated piece of machinery for a moment, before the tolling of what they were now sure was the Cloister Bell, brought them back into action. "Right Doctors there are six console panels and six of us, it should be easy enough to repair after all, we are the Doctors and who knows TARDISes better than we do?" the Eighth Doctor ran up to the nearest control station, pried open the lower panel and ducked inside, popping back out a moment later looking rather grim. "It looks like there are three separate couplings for the dimensional stabilizers, rather primitive, but still rather complicated to repair quickly…"

"Unless those of us with sonic screwdrivers work on the stabilizers, while the others attempt to find out why the Cloister Bell is ringing," The Eleventh Doctor offered as he whipped out his screw driver.

"Why don't you let those with the younger hands and reflexes work the controls, while older wiser heads work on the repairs," the Fourth Doctor offered with a cheeky grin.

"Oh ha ha," The Eighth Doctor muttered before ducking back under the console, his sonic screw driver humming away. "Come on you lot, I can't do this by myself," he called out. Immediately the Eleventh Doctor pried open his own panel and was working away. The Ninth Doctor hesitated, looked to his First self, receiving a shooing gesture, and joined the others with a grumble.

The Second Doctor approached the much taller Fourth Doctor, looking a bit embarrassed saying,

"Would you mind awfully?" the Second Doctor gestured towards the controls, indicating the need for a boost up.

"Oh certainly! Anything for my little old self, up you get," the Fourth Doctor cupped his hands and boosted the Second Doctor onto his shoulders. The Second Doctor tried to reach the controls, but sadly fell short, even with the Fourth Doctor's added height. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pen light like device and pointed it at the controls, to no avail.

"Still can't reach? Ah well, that sort of thing does happen when you're young, or so I'm told." The Fourth Doctor remarked.

"Mind the cheek down there," the Second Doctor shot bat a bit indignantly.

"Cheek? What cheek? There's no cheek down here. Although that is my cheek you are trying to stand on, would you mind holding still?"

"No, it's no good I still can't reach, even my sonic screw driver isn't helping…"

"Here try mine," the Fourth Doctor offered, passing up the device, trying not to unsettle his younger self's perch. The Second Doctor looked at the device dubiously, stretching as far as he dare, pointing the device at the controls. He was rewarded with a loud clunk, and all of the controls lighting up.

"There we are…oh dear. I say you lads working on the stabilizers, better put some haste into it, we need to be able to access these controls, and in a hurry," the Second Doctor informed them, with the Fourth Doctor helping him back down to the ground.

"Well? What is it you found?" the First Doctor asked impatiently.

"It seems our Eleventh self was right, the interior dimensions are leaking, and at an expediential rate. If left unchecked the whole of the universe could be enveloped in this TARDIS. But that's not all, the TARDIS is drifting…drifting towards the event horizons of two black holes. If we don't get this TARDIS away from here in the next 15 minutes, the gravitational forces of the event horizons will tear us to bits." The Second Doctor explained wringing his hands a bit dejectedly.

"That sounds like the drift compensators have gone on the blink as well. If I could have my screw driver, I'll get right to work on that." The Fourth Doctor held out his hand expectantly.

"Hmm? Oh my yes, I almost forgot I had it. Handy little thing, now isn't it,"

"Quite the handiest thing I have ever had. Do excuse me, work to be done and all that," the Fourth Doctor joined the others beneath the console and before long all that could be heard besides the background hum of the TARDIS, was the various pitched sounds of the sonic screw drivers at work.

"And that should do it, ah ha ha, look at it shrink, oh…uh oh…OUT EVERYONE OUT!" The Eleventh Doctor proclaimed as all of the Doctors scrambled out from underneath the console to avoid being crushed. "Is everyone ok? Good. Now were you able to mend the drift compensator?" he looked to the Fourth Doctor.

"Mended yes. Calibrated? No," The Fourth Doctor offered with a shrug.

"I've got it," the Eighth Doctor offered, his hands flying over the controls. "There we have it. The TARDIS is relatively stationary, well outside of the event horizons, the dimensional leaks have been plugged, and now this TARDIS is just a TARDIS again. Any thoughts as to what we should do with it?" the Eighth Doctor looked to his other selves. The Ninth Doctor had a look on his face that suggested what the Eighth Doctor could do with it, but at a look from the First Doctor, chose to keep his mouth shut.

"I suggest we return it to where it came from. Am I right in believing that this is the TARDIS of Rassilon?" The First Doctor asked stepping up to a control panel.

"Perhaps not _the_ TARDIS of Rassilon, but I dare say it's from the era," the Eighth Doctor Supplied.

"Then it would best serve if we return it home. Our people will no doubt want this for a museum or something. We can always depart in our TARDISes before they try to question our involvement," The First Doctor suggested. Finding no objections, he began to work the controls in front of him. Slowly the others followed suit. Within moments the time rotor began to rise and fall, the familiar groaning sound indicated that they had taken flight. There was far less being tossed and running about, as this TARDIS, like all TARDISes, was designed to be flown by six pilots. Each Doctor absorbed in the task at hand, the TARDIS flew true and smooth. Before they knew it, the TARDIS stopped groaning and landed with a thump.

"It looks like we landed right in the heart of the Penopticon Museum level. How very clever of us to do so," the Fourth Doctor said grinning at his other selves.

"Well then. That's one TARDIS, and one universe saved by the Doctors. Not bad for a little day out, don't you think," the Eleventh Doctor said fiddling with his bow tie. "It's been fun, but I really must be off. My love to the days gone by, and hope to see you again," with that the Eleventh Doctor left through the nearest door, followed by the sound of his TARDIS departing.

The Ninth Doctor turned to the Eighth Doctor commenting, "They say time heals all wounds. Fortunately I have eternity." With that he abruptly left, the sound of his TARDIS leaving soon after.

"Well then," the First Doctor said authoritatively. "It seems my future is in some good hands. Farewell Doctors. Until we meet again," he left followed by his Second and Fourth selves, leaving the Eighth Doctor alone with his thoughts in the ancient monument to his people's once glorious past. The sound of someone trying to force open the TARDIS broke the Doctor out of his revere and he dashed to his own TARDIS. Once he was inside, he noticed and promptly ignored the TARDIS recall signal being broadcast from his time zone's Gallifrey.

"Alright old girl, let's go where we need to go," With a pull of the lever the Doctor's TARDIS dematerialized into the vortex. Once again the Doctor was running, always running. Perhaps one day he would have to stop running, but that day was not today. For now the Doctor would run to wherever the TARDIS and universe took him. Into the infinite beyond.


End file.
